Improvement in urinals



A. W. RQBINSUN.

Urinals.

Patented Dec 24, 1872.

AUGUSTUS W. ROBINSON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

lapaovsresnr' in calante.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. ht-@3h59 dated December 24, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS W. ROBIN- SON, of the city andcounty of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station'- ary Urinals.

My invention consists in combining with such -stationary urinals of common form as in general use are applied to the side walls orpartitions of buildings, railroad'` cars, steamboats, &c., a casing or shield provided with a suitable opening guarded by a plate after the manner of a door; and also in the peculiar construction of said plate, whereby it is made to serve as a conductor from the exterior to the interior ofthe bowl; and, still further, in combining therewith automatic mechanism 'for opening and closing the said opening 5 and I do herebyT declare that the following specication, taken in connection with the drawing furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear and true description of several urinals embodying my invention.

Referrin gto the drawing, Figure 1 represents one of my urinal casings adapted to the wellknownr corner bowls 5 Fig. 2 represents the same in central vertical section with the opening closed; Fig. 3 represents the same as in Fig. 2 with the opening accessible Fig. 4 represents one of my nrinal casin gs adapted to the ordinary wall bowl ;77 and Fig. 5 represents a bowl provided with my improved cas-` ing and combined with a springplati`orm,which on receiving the weight of a person is depressed and arranged to automatically vswing down the plate which guards the opening to the bowl and render it accessible, and also when relieved from weight to automatically close it.

It is well known that in all localities where an abundance of water cannot be obtained urinals rapidly become more or less offensive. This is observable, to a marked degree, in railroad carriages, where, unfortunately, owing to lack of space, the closet-seats are necessarily placed in close relation with the urinals. Although my invention is generally applica ble to all urinals, it is, therefore, more partic-l ularly adapted to those employed in public conveyances, and in localities where l the supply of water is limited, or where there is noneV attainable. Wherever used, however, itrenders the urinals less unsightly, and gives to them and their surroundings a general air of neatness, which is of special value in that connection.

Adenotcsthecasing. Itisusuallycomposed of sheet metal, and has such a form and conguration that it can readily be attached to the wall of the structure in which the urinal is used in such a manner as to form a proper connection with the upper edge of the bowl. When applicable to corner bowls it is semitriangular in form, and has a rounded front to correspond with the outline of the bowl.

Other styles of bowls necessarily have casings,

a sliding door, or hinged to the right or left side of the opening. Itis, however, preferably hinged at or near the bottom. As described,

however, in the drawing, the door is hinged at apoint somewhat above the lower edge in such a manner that as the door swings down and open the lower inside edge b is projected somewhat into the bowl, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. By

having this special construction the door becomes a conductor, and prevents the iiuid from dropping therefrom outside ofthe bowl upon the iioor and becoming a nuisance. In few, if any instances, will it be desirable that the door be so deected that it cannot serve as a conductor and possess the spout-like function described. When used with a casing having a rounded front, as in the case of the corner bowls,77 the door B will, of course, be concave to correspond therewith. When used, however, with a casin g which is straight, near the opening a, the door should still' be concave on its inner side, in order that it can perform properly its spout-like functions as a conductor. C denotes apivoted platfbrm-lever, havin gunder its front edge an expanding-spring so set as to maintain that end of the platform-lever in an elevated position. The short end of the platform-lever is hinged to a vertical crooked arm,

D, which is, at its upper end, pivoted to the door B below the line of its hinge. The parts shown are to be so constructed (in a manner which any skilled mechanic will readily comprehend) that the upward force of the spring beneath the long end of the platform-lever will keep the door closed. When the front end of the been made in great variety of construction; and I therefore desire to distinctly disclaim such application of my invention.

By the use of my invention as applied to stationary urinals I accomplish certain novel results, viz If myimproved casin g be applied, for instance7 to astationary urinal which is provided with a cleansing stream of continuouslytlowing water, the oifensive efiluvia is not only prevented from escaping into the room, but the iiowin g water is charged therewith, and consequently theurinal can neverbecomeinanymanner oiensive. If, on arailroad car or steamboat, where no lowin g streams of cleansing water are employed, by the use of my casing not only will the efluvia be prevented from escaping into the room, but a downward current ot' air will be induced by the motion of the car or vessel, and all noisome results be eti'ect'ually obviated tl1ereby,even when the door be opened for use. In urinals provided with a dischargeduct and a vertical Ventilating-pipe, as are sometimes provided on railroad cars, my casing so eiiectually renders the lower duct and the upper pipe a continuous conductor of air that complete and effectual ventilation is readily accomplished. There are occasional instances in which stationary urinals are connected directly with pipes leading to the sewer. In such cases it seldom it' ever is providedY with any trap-connection, owing to the mis-v taken idea that the apertures are too small to admit the passage of `noxious and sickening vapors. With my casing the bowls are not only in themselves guarded, but the aperture to thesewer is also guarded.

Having thus described my invention and certain modes of applyingand operating the same, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a casing provided with a suitable opening and a door, with a stationaryl urinal, substantially as described, whereby the urinal when not in use may be closed in, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of a-vertical or inclined urinal cover or casin g with the door B hinged sufficiently above its lower edge as to cause it when opened to swing inward below the hinge and outward above it, and serve thereby as a door and as a spout-like conductor, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with the urinal-casing and the door B, of the platform-lever C, connected with the door and arranged to automatically'open and Vclose it, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' A. W. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. BLACKwooD, PHILIP B. STINEss, Jr. 

